The One Device

The Secret History of the IPhone

NATIONAL BESTSELLER "The One Device is a tour de force, with a fast-paced edge and heaps of analytical insight." -Ashlee Vance, New York Times bestselling author of Elon Musk"A stunning book. You will never look at your iPhone the same way again." -Dan Lyons, New York Times bestselling author of DisruptedThe secret history of the invention that changed everything-and became the most profitable product in the world.Odds are that as you read this, an iPhone is within reach. But before Steve Jobs introduced us to "the one device," as he called it, a cell phone was merely what you used to make calls on the go.How did the iPhone transform our world and turn Apple into the most valuable company ever? Veteran technology journalist Brian Merchant reveals the inside story you won't hear from Cupertino-based on his exclusive interviews with the engineers, inventors, and developers who guided every stage of the iPhone's creation.This deep dive takes you from inside One Infinite Loop to 19th century France to WWII America, from the driest place on earth to a Kenyan pit of toxic e-waste, and even deep inside Shenzhen's notorious "suicide factories." It's a firsthand look at how the cutting-edge tech that makes the world work-touch screens, motion trackers, and even AI-made their way into our pockets.The One Device is a roadmap for design and engineering genius, an anthropology of the modern age, and an unprecedented view into one of the most secretive companies in history. This is the untold account, ten years in the making, of the device that changed everything.

Comment

if you want to read the mystery as thriller, then check out the book " little rice"
{ after the 1st chapter or so, "little rice " becomes an academic study,
then you may prefer to scroll your device rather than browsing the books

I recommend this book for the insights it gives.
knowing how the iPhone is invented by the talents in the US. made by the workers in the world economy, used by all people.
Amazing bewildering, inspiring to you who want to know the history and the future
of a tool holding in your hand

I wanted to read about the story about the iPhone, not anti-Apple propaganda. The author makes every effort to paint Apple as an evil dictatorship and gives them almost no credit for their accomplishments other than passing comments which he quickly downplays with other information. There are a few cool tidbits in there, like Exposé on mac is modeled after the similar hand waving action Tom Cruise uses to control his computer in Minority Report. But other than that, it is a finger pointing narrative rather than a true story of the iPhone. A message to the author (who uses an iPhone) Apple is not to blame for all of the worlds ills.

******************* 50-STARRED REVIEW ***********************
Tracy Kidder's The Soul of a New Machine was a monumental achievement, and this book is yet another monumental achievement a long time in following Kidder's piece!
This dude writes real! Brian Merchant interviews everyone from the phantom coders of Apple [always bugged me that it was difficult to find out anything about them] to the workers at Foxconn [and yes, pompous and pretentious Ira Glass, Mike Daly was correct about their plight] to Alan Kay - - and even mentions John Draper's influence on Jobs and the Woz - - having come into contact with Capt. Crunch in the military, I can attest he influenced my technical perceptions!
This guy covers it all - - full spectrum journalism and technology history at its finest!
The Soul of the iPhone?
You bet! Brian Merchant delivers Big Time!